Report Details Premeditation, Cover-Up in 1944 French Massacre of Senegalese Riflemen
A newly submitted report to the Senegalese president alleges the 1944 massacre of African riflemen at the Thiaroye camp near Dakar was a premeditated act, deliberately covered up by French authorities, and resulted in a considerably higher death toll than previously acknowledged. The 301-page document, authored by a committee led by historian Mamadou Diouf, calls for official acknowledgement and apology from France.
The incident occurred in December 1944, after approximately 1,300 soldiers from West African nations, who had fought for France during World War II while captured by Germany, were assembled at the Thiaroye camp. Discontent arose amongst the troops due to unpaid wages and demands for equal treatment compared to white soldiers. On December 1st, French forces opened fire on the assembled riflemen.
Official French colonial accounts at the time reported at least 35 deaths. Tho, the report challenges this figure, estimating the death toll to be between 300 and 400. Researchers noted that previous official figures of 35 or 70 deaths were “contradictory and patently false,” and stated that ”more than 400 riflemen vanished as if they had never existed.”
The report asserts the massacre was “intended to convince people that the colonial order could not be undermined by the emancipatory effects of the Second World War.” It concludes the operation was “premeditated, meticulously planned and executed,” and points to the fact that the riflemen were disarmed, stating they “would have defended themselves” had they been armed, and that “nowhere was the slightest act of resistance mentioned.”
Beyond the Thiaroye camp itself, the report suggests killings may have also occurred at the nearby train station.
Researchers found evidence of a intentional cover-up following the massacre, including alterations to records detailing the riflemen’s departure from France and arrival in Dakar. The report also highlights inconsistencies and gaps in available documentation, noting that “some administrative and military archives are inaccessible or inconsistent, while others have disappeared or been falsified.” A notable amount of relevant source material is reportedly missing from Dakar, where archives from France’s former West African colonies are located, due to transfers to France.
While the committee benefited from collaboration with French archives, they also encountered obstacles, stating that “several of our questions and requests encountered a wall of smoke and mirrors.”
The report recommends seeking a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights declaring the Thiaroye massacre a violation of the riflemen’s human rights. It also formally requests that France “officially express a request for forgiveness to the families, communities and populations of the countries from which the riflemen came.”
